Nichol, who will earn $760,000 with new contract, ready to get back to ‘unfinished business’

Just got off the phone with Scott Nichol, who will be making $760,000 next season under terms of his new one-year contract announced today.

That’s only a bump of $10,000 above what he made last year, but Nichol had no interest in going on the open market July 1.

“We weren’t looking to go anywhere,” he said. “I had a good year and I think the fans enjoy my style. I just want to win and getting a taste of that playoff rum, l want to get back to where we were and go beyond that. There’s only a handful of tems have that chance every year and we have that .”

Would he have liked longer term?

“We’re good with the one year,” he said. “I think everyone would like a couple more, but we’re happy with it.”

He cited Patrick Marleau’s and Joe Pavelski’s decision to re-sign as evidence that “everyone’s got that same mindset — we’ve got some unfinished business to do.”

Back to the running coverage now.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

If you are screaming about Wallins salary, please scroll up to DP’s remarks about how comps are set with veteran d-men with a ring. It comes witht he territory, he has seniority and a ring and he’s solid. Simple as that.
But it may be a good thing that now Wallin is the only whipping boy that some “fans” injecting venom into.

*chirp chirp*

jon d.

again, explain how Scott Nichol, who was a key part of the Sharks ALL season with his faceoff work, and penalty killing and aggressive forechecking making opponent dmen pay a price

and yet he signs for $760,000 with a paltry 10k increase, but Wallin gets a bigger increase than Nichol’s entire salary

they could have brought back Leach at 500k to take that bottom pair spot, and then used the extra available 2m plus Blake’s 3m to sign a good dman to take Blake’s spot.

calling wallin’s increase not significant is plain wrong. it affects the quality of player they can add to replace Blake. and if wallin is that replacement, then they are sunk

jon d.

calling wallin “solid” is laughable. how “solid” was he in the Hawks series?

how come mr solid had poorer stats than Jay Leach in the late reg season?

and Leach also brings toughness and intimidation, for $2mill less

and they both are #6 dmen, no matter what you or DW try to pretend otherwise

SpideySense

LMAO – This was funny… I stole this comment from a fan on FTF, that desribes Kent Huskins, but is probably more suited to Wallin based on his current salary:

All I need to know about Huskins I learned from his Wikipedia:

Kent Huskins (born May 4, 1979 in Almonte, Ontario) is a sh**ty hockey player who blows major c*** and currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League.

The Detector

how “solid” was the team whole team during the Hawks series? If you must, focus your negative energy on the forwards who were not scoring. Wallin, Huskins and Leach are role players who are doing their job. Quit making it sound like Wallin is supposed to be the second coming of Rob Blake, already.
Something tells me you are a puck watcher.

NickG

SpideySense – really funny. /s

jon d. – you having a little trouble reading DPs comment eh?

The Detector

Poller, help me out here: teams that get eliminated often cite injuries to key players. Were there any skaters on the Hawks or Flyers that were playing through injury and yet managed to tough it out and make it happen?

GP

I guess that someday (tomorrow that is) some will need to realize that to have the perfect team that no one will complain about any player for any reason the cap ceiling will need to be about 100M.

Bahh! Who am I kidding? The same people will be complaining then also for the same reasons (or lack of).

jon d.

guess who is making it sound like Wallin is the second coming of Blake? DW, that’s who. he is giving him a near similar salary and apparently giving him a second pair spot on D

posters aren’t the ones doing that. your hero DW is the one doing it.

and the canes, having a poor season, dumped him because he was not worth $1.725. so now he is worth 2.5 for even less production?? and he will take the place of a real 2nd pair dman? no thanks

btw, for his entire nhl career, he has 18 goals in TEN years, and is MINUS 61

GP

Good point Detector. I’m pretty sure there were some minor injuries or afflictions for the Hawks. To date, I’ve not seen any information regarding any Hawk players with significant injuries that played through it and caused them to lose. I may have forgotten true enough, anything that happened during the POs that was of concern to the Hawks.

The Detector

Jon d- enlighten us, please. What is your definition of ‘solid’?

wan8iv

MINUS 61 doesn’t buy as much as it used to

wan8iv

GP
What is your solution to matching up w/ the Hawks?

They lost Byf and maybe Versteeg–maybe.

They are still way more talented and the Sharks couldnt’
beat them w/ Blake now they may sign another top Dman
but if not they won’t even remotely match them.

I like a lot of Sharks just not Wallin who is a sparkling
-61 for his career and he played for a Cup winner. He
wasn’t the reason they won that Cup by the way some
guy named Ward and Staal had a tad more to do w/ that
than Wallin

GP

“guess who is making it sound like Wallin is the second coming of Blake? DW, that’s who.”

Not sure where or how you even came up with. I read it only from commentors (is this a word or misspelled?) that don’t like the deal. You’re asserting an implication that was never made.

“and the canes, having a poor season, dumped him because he was not worth $1.725.”

Umm, let me inject a little reality. Wallin was a clear candidate of at least a rental player. And, the initial deal didn’t fly because DW wanted him in an extension and Wallin didn’t want to make that commitment at the time. The Canes were a team not making the POs and had a player who’s contract was expiring. Probably true that he was no longer in their plans next season, but there is NO evidence he was a dump or wasn’t actually in the plans. The business of hockey, plain and simple is you try to get something for a player in that situation. Even Nabby is being dealt to the Flyers for a 7th round pick if they sign him. See NHL.com for that story.

All of this was clearly spelled out by multiple sources while it was happening. Did you miss that somehow or are you new to how the business side of hockey works?

jon d.

I just ignore your inane ramblings and phony excuses so don’t even bother

GP

Wan8iv,

It’s your opinion they didn’t or won’t match up. I have my ideas why they lost in WCF, and it had more to do with the Hawk D and GT then the Sharks D. Special teams played a big part in their win of the series too.

IMO, I recognize where the series was won by the Hawks better than most here at WTC. I’ll give the Hawks credit rather than take it away from the Sharks. The Hawks played their best D of the POs against the Sharks. If they played the same vs the Flyers in the Finals, that would have been another sweep of games.

You can have your opinion, I’ll take mine. My opinion doesn’t need a solution other than what DW is doing to build the team. He has information none of us have. He also has more at stake in doing his the job the best he can than any of us do.

wan8iv

Your right GP–

I’m sure we both want the same thing and that’s for the Sharks to win and win big. The only player I don’t like on this team is Wallin and that’s because I think he’s way overpaid.

santaclarateal

“My opinion doesn’t need a solution other than what DW is doing to build the team. He has information none of us have. He also has more at stake in doing his the job the best he can than any of us do.”

bingo !!

now we see the real proof that this guy is nothing but a shill for DW

so tired of this guy trying to deflect legitimate criticism from Sharks fans.

GP

wan8iv,

I forgot this point I wanted to make.

On Bufflin (sp)….the Hawks IMO, have possibly made it easier for ANY team to match up — in front of their own net.

Further, It will potentially be easier in the forthcoming balance of the off-season. The Hawks have 13 players signed with about 5.5M left in cap space. Some still need to go.

GP

Uh, “He’s Slow!” That clearly is legit criticism. You got me there.

GP

“I’m sure we both want the same thing and that’s for the Sharks to win and win big.”

Tru-Dat!

The Detector

santaclarateal (if that is your real name)

look, this is a forum for fans…fans of the sharks and fans of DP’s insights. Labelingl posters as shills is as about as ridiculous as it gets. And if he is a fan of the DW style…so what? Does that keep you awake at night?

Randy

Look at it this way — what would you rather have on your blueline? 2 Niclas Wallin’s or Sergei Gonchar and Derek Joslin. The cost is basically identical and the choice is pretty obvious.

It’s just like the Giants do every year under Sabean. The $2-$4 million dollar veterans who are “solid” add up fast. It’s ideal to fill the bottom end of your roster with good value guys (which typically means young) or else there isn’t enough space for top-end guys where you get more bang for your buck.

santaclarateal

DW’s little clique. I wonder if they get paid extra on Sunday

Randy

And it really doesn’t matter if Wallin is good, or theoretically worth $2.5 mil. He’s going to be a #5 defenseman for the Sharks. You don’t pay your #5 defenseman $2.5 mil so that you have room for a #2 defenseman (or goalie) who makes $5-6 mil.

GP

LOL,

Detector, over the last 3 years or so, I’m sure my ideas have kept a few up at night simply because by common sense rebuttals to illogical assertions.

Thanks btw.

GP

sct….lil’ sieve? Is that you? Always crafty with those one liners eh?

You should still be giddy with the firing of Nabby and even more ecstatic because probably getting a pick for the other team being able to negotiate.

Oh Wait! You’re secretly a Flyers fan. Must suck to be you. 🙂

The Sad, Sorry Truth

Doug “The Master of Mediocrity” Wilson is a total failure as GM. But it’s the fans that make it possible. No one holds old DW accountable for his lousy drafting, his imbecilic free agent signings (latest: Wallin) and his general inability to win anything in his life.

No one holds the ownership group responsible because you fools keep ponying up your season ticket deposits and buying all the manufactured memorabilia (20th anniversary garbage up next), so between this apparent indifference at succeeding when it matters most (playoffs) and a generally soft media that either is denied access or is too lazy to demand answers to tough questions, the prolonged malaise of mediocrity continues.

Doug Wilson and Greg Jamison and all the other members of the organization are a reflection of the fans. If you don’t care about winning as much as being “entertained,” they’ll never make the managerial or roster changes to win a Stanley Cup. They have your money. What else matters?

Has DW ever drafted a player that went on to be an All Star? Has this organization ever drafted, developed and retained a Top 4 defenseman in his tenure? Has this team ever won a home game in the WCF in his tenure?

20 years…no Stanley Cup appearances. Losers.

JB

“(if that is your real name)”

Yep, I’m sure I’m not the only regular reader who is truly tired of the cast-of-thousands effect. Let’s hope Merc’s IT pixies eliminates this loophole before next season.
I’m bored with the dog and pony show of a few bad attitudes posting behind so many names.

santaclarateal

why is there a link to the obvious shill site petshark? that is nothing more than a phony DW backpatting, Sharks amateur PR wannabee echo chamber.